“When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.”

--Desiderius Erasmus

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Kitcheny goodnesses

The Consort and I went to England the third week of September, and we saw many wondrous things, including Dover Castle. Dover was built by Henry II as a guest house (a very fancy guest house, but where else would you put a foreign king?) but the site has been of military importance since the Iron Age and has been continuously garrisoned from shortly after Hastings until 1958. Dover is really a two-day day out, because there is just so much there to see--Roman, medieval, and both WW I and WW II. Mostly we spent our time in the keep and environs. English Heritage spent several years and a substantial amount of cash to "do it up right" and to show the keep as it would have been in 1184.

In general, the kitchen at Dover is not a place I'd like to try and cook in. Large, certainly, but not nearly enough light or ventilation. If I had to name a place, I'd have to say the Abbot's kitchen at Glastonbury Abbey (of which there are slides but none of them scanned) which although probably smaller is much better lit and ventilated. Glastonbury was the second-richest abbey in England, the first being Westminster. The kitchen was built in the 14th century.

Really nifty panoramic view of the interior of the Abbot's kitchen at this link.

About Me

I am a long-time member of the SCA, primarily interested in England in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. It is probably safe to say I am a history and authenticity geek. Here you may find my projects and research into 12th and 13th century clothing and accessories, medieval textiles and textile processing, cooking, calligraphy & illumination, embroidery, and anything else that catches my interest.